


We 'Bake' a Great Team

by green_lemonboys



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Ever - Freeform, Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, cyrus works in a bakery, like this is the most fluff i have ever written, tj is basketball captain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 13:31:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18550768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/green_lemonboys/pseuds/green_lemonboys
Summary: Cyrus works in his parents’ bakery and has a passing (not) crush on TJ Kippen, the basketball captain. So what will happen when TJ walks into the store one day? Inspired by this Instagram post ( https://www.instagram.com/p/BwYTvHgH3M6/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=15jnwd0snnax0 )





	We 'Bake' a Great Team

Ever since his parents opened their bakery in town, Cyrus has never failed to find comfort in the store. The smell, the homely ambience, all of it never failed to centre and ground him. It was one of the only places where he felt truly calm. So, whenever his mom said they needed help, Cyrus jumped at the chance, practically pouncing at every opportunity to be amidst the smell of vanilla, chocolate, caramel and bread.

It was one of those days, and luckily the day was also slower compared to others, allowing Cyrus a chance to take a break from chatting to all the customers that walked through the door. Not that he didn’t like talking to them, he loved hearing people’s stories. It just got exhausting after a couple hours.

After talking to the lovely lady who wanted some eclairs, Cyrus wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, smearing the flour over it. He didn’t really care. It wasn’t like anyone was going to care about his appearance. He was just the boy who ran the till and took their orders for baked goods. No one would care about his appearance.

Okay, maybe he was spending too much time trying to rearrange the cupcakes on the display, because he heard a soft cough, trying to draw his attention. Cyrus sighed, looking up over the counter.

“Sorry for that. How may I…” Cyrus said, stopping short when he noticed who it was, and suddenly regretting his harried appearance.

TJ Kippen. Basketball captain. Only the guy Cyrus had been hopelessly crushing on from the safety of his locker and his desk in the class. They had only spoken a few times before, running into each other every now and then because Buffy and he played on the same basketball team. Each time they spoke, Cyrus was somehow more and more of a goner. And now here he was. In front of him. While Cyrus’ hair was a godawful mess, and there was flour all over his face.  _Oh. God._

“I- Um,” Cyrus stuttered, trying to fix his hair and wipe off the flour of his face, while simultaneously trying to relax and seem casual.  _Just be cool, Cyrus. Cool as a cucumber. A cucumber that was now in an oven._

“Hi,” TJ said, his voice soft, as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants, balancing on the balls of his feet. “Cyrus, right?”  _He looked so cute,_  Cyrus thought to himself unhelpfully, as he desperately tried to find his voice.

“Um, hey. How can I help you today?” Cyrus said, resting one hand on the counter, the other on his waist as he tried to seem at ease. Not very easy when one’s heart is practically racing at a million miles an hour.

“Uh, my mom called in to order some bread. Wait,” TJ said, reaching into his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. “Here’s the name,” he said. “Sorry, I’m not very good with names.”

As TJ handed Cyrus the slip of paper, their fingers brushed slightly, an occurrence that sent Cyrus’ heart soaring and his head spinning. The two looked at each other in surprise, blushes creeping onto their faces and TJ laughed nervously.

“Just one second, I’ll check if it’s ready,” Cyrus said, revelling in the distraction. He took the few moments he had while turned away from TJ to steady his breathing.  _He needed to get it together,_ Cyrus thought to himself, scolding his heart for betraying his trust by still racing.

 _But he’s wearing glasses and his hair is fluffy, how does one remain calm,_  his heart arguing back, much to Cyrus’ chagrin. Sighing, resigning himself to his inevitable doom, Cyrus turned back to TJ with a shy smile, grabbing the carefully packed parcel that his mother had kept aside.

“Here you go, freshly baked,” Cyrus said handing over the parcel, ignoring the fluttering feeling in his heart when their fingers brushed against each other again. TJ smiled at Cyrus, gasping as he took hold of the bread.

“Whoa, it’s hot!”

“You’re hot too,” Cyrus mumbled unknowingly. As soon as he realised what he had said, he slapped a hand across his mouth, his eyes wide. TJ was looking at him, his eyebrows quirked, a soft smirk on his face.

“Oh my god, I- I am so sorry, I don’t know why,” Cyrus fumbled, desperately trying to take back what he said, his face growing warmer and warmer with every passing second.

TJ just softly laughed, reaching over the counter to grab Cyrus’ hand, quieting him. “Hey, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Good to know you find me hot,” he said, winking at Cyrus.

 _Death would be a welcome release right now,_  Cyrus thought to himself, as he gulped nervously. They stared each other in the eye for a moment, the tension in the air building more and more. Just then, the door opened, a bell chiming, causing the two to snap out of their trance. Cyrus coughed, trying to play cool.

“Yeah, um. Thanks for coming by. Nice to talk to you,” Cyrus said, holding out his hand for a handshake.  _Casual, casual. Just two bros shaking hands._

TJ just giggled slightly, returning the handshake. “Nice to talk to you too, Cyrus. Who knew that when I just came down for bread, I would end up running into a really cute guy?” he said, his cheeks pink. He winked at Cyrus while leaving the money on the counter, walking out of the store. Before he walked out of the door, TJ looked back at Cyrus, a soft smile on his face that sent Cyrus’ already racing heart into a complicated and elaborate dance routine. With a great amount of difficulty, Cyrus managed to give a small smile back, raising his hand for a small wave.

After TJ had left, Cyrus looked around, thankful that there weren’t many people around. He called to his mom that he was taking a break, and walked out of the store, sinking against the wall outside.

That was a hell of an experience.

*

“And we spent 3 hours just in Andi Shack making bracelets. That shouldn’t be interesting, but it was?” Andi said as she shut the door of her locker. “I don’t know. I can’t understand anything. What do you guys think?”

“I think that means, now I’m just spitballing here, but I think maybe, just maybe. You like Amber,” Buffy said.

Andi just glared at Buffy, unimpressed. “Gee, thanks. What do you think, Cyrus?”

Cyrus, who had been lost in thought all the while, was startled out of his dream world. “Huh? What?”

Buffy furrowed her eyebrows, confused at Cyrus’ spaciness.

“Cyrus, did you hear anything I just said?” Andi asked, narrowing her eyes.

Cyrus looked at his two friends, sighing. “Sorry, Andi. I just, I spaced out. But you should tell Amber you like her. That’s all I got.”

“Um, what? I can’t do that!” Andi said incredulously. “What if she doesn’t feel the same? What if she doesn’t like girls? What if she hates me, Cyrus. What do I do then?” she said, grabbing Cyrus’ shoulders and shaking them.

Cyrus just laughed, covering Andi’s hands with his. “It’ll be fine, Andi. Believe me, you’ll feel better telling her.”

“Says the guy who is harbouring the biggest silent crush on TJ,” Buffy said, smirking.

“Yeah,” Cyrus said, turning away from his friends. “About that…”

The two girls stopped, Buffy sticking a hand out in front of Cyrus to stop him from walking away.

“Cyrus, spill,” Buffy said firmly.

“Yeah, come on. There are still 10 minutes for the bell to ring,” Andi added.

Groaning at the embarrassment and questions to come, Cyrus relayed all the events that had occurred in the bakery on the day Cyrus’ soul ascended and left his body. As he spoke, he could see the two girls get visibly more excited, Andi practically smiling to the high heavens. Buffy’s eyes were filled with glee and excitement, and Cyrus could practically see her gears turning as she thought up more ways to tease Cyrus.  _This was the worst idea he had ever had._

When he was done, Buffy said with a smirk, “Ooh, so you and TJ? When’s the wedding? I expect an invitation tomorrow.”

“Buffy!” Cyrus whisper-yelled, looking around them as the hallway was clearing out.

“Me too, Cyrus. Also, which one of us is your maid of honour? You have many important decisions to make,” Andi added with a teasing smile.

“Guys,” Cyrus whined. “Nothing’s happening. It was just a freak incident. Doesn’t mean anything.”

“Sure it doesn’t,” Buffy said, raising her eyebrows. “It also wouldn’t mean anything to you if I told you that for the past couple months, TJ has been gushing about you all through basketball practice, would it?”

Cyrus stopped dead in his tracks, his thoughts in a whirl.  _Could it be..? Nope. No. Do not entertain that thought._  He coughed, keeping his eyes focused ahead. “Nope. Doesn’t matter to me. Nuh-uh.”

He walked away in the direction of his class, ignoring Andi and Buffy’s laughs as he left. Of course, he still loved them, but they did seem to always suggest what he was too scared to believe, and sometimes it got too much for him.

He was so in his thoughts, that he wasn’t even aware of his surroundings, until he walked right into another person.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Cyrus mumbled, nearly stumbling over his feet. Luckily, whoever it was seemed to catch hold of him. He didn’t know who it was who he had nearly bulldozed over. That is until he heard a very familiar chuckle.

“It’s okay, Cyrus. I don’t mind,” said TJ, his arms resting on Cyrus’ elbows, loosely holding onto them.

“Oh, um. Hey TJ,” Cyrus said, shaking his head slightly as if that would help clear his mind. Realising how close he was to TJ at that point, he immediately tried to disentangle himself, trying to put some space between, them. Not that he wanted to, but he knew that he had close to no chance with TJ, so might as well not let his heart die more.

As he moved away, Cyrus thought he saw disappointment flicker through TJ’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by his characteristic soft smirk. Cyrus gulped nervously, aware of the growing tension in the air.

“So, h-how was the bread?” Cyrus asked, silently facepalming himself.  _‘How was the bread?’ He just shouldn’t be allowed to speak._

Thankfully, TJ gave a small laugh, running a hand through his hair. “It was really good. Best I’ve ever had.”

“Good good. That’s good,” Cyrus mumbled, pulling at the hem of his shirt with the hand that wasn’t currently clutching his bag strap. They stood there in the now-empty hallway in silence, Cyrus eventually looking up at TJ, who was eyeing him with an expression that was unreadable. Then, Cyrus felt himself take a small step toward TJ, prompted by something inside him, something that wanted to do nothing more than to get closer to the boy standing in front of him. TJ looked back at Cyrus, tilting his head slightly, a mix of curiosity and uncertainty in his eyes.

“I need to tell you something, Cyrus,” TJ whispered, his glance flitting down before returning to meet Cyrus’ eyes.

“Yeah?” Cyrus whispered back.  _They were so close._

“I,” TJ started, but before he could say anything, the shrill sound of the school bell rang through the school halls, causing the two to jump away, a blush covering Cyrus’ cheeks as he realised what he had been doing.

“I, I should go,” Cyrus mumbled, walking to class, his head looking down as he walked past TJ.

“Yeah, yeah me too. See you around,” TJ replied, equally flustered as he walked in the opposite direction, looking back at Cyrus as he walked away.

A few seconds later, Cyrus turned around, catching one last glimpse of TJ before he walked to Math.

*

“Guys, I really don’t think anything happened, or is going to happen. Maybe he got weirded out by me and that’s what he was going to tell me,” Cyrus said as he wiped down the counter. Across from him on the other side, Buffy and Andi were standing by the display, looking at Cyrus with a combination of disbelief and reassurance.

“Cyrus, no offence, but you are blind,” Buffy said, raising her eyebrows. “The boy is always staring at you when you have classes together, and he somehow is always near your locker when you need some help. Plus, let’s not forget. He literally never shuts up about you during practice, it’s annoying.”

Cyrus just sighed, rearranging the cakes on show.  _Buffy had to be mistaken. He was just Cyrus, there was no way a guy like TJ Kippen could like him._

“I don’t know, Buffy,” Cyrus said, looking up at his friend.

“Cyrus!” Buffy exclaimed.

“What?”

“Come on, it’s staring you in the face.”

“Yeah, I have to agree with Buffy here. Even Amber tells me that TJ talks about you all the time. It’s really obvious,” Andi chimed in.

Cyrus just raised one eyebrow, looking back and forth between his two friends. “Guys, you don’t get it. TJ is out of my league. Like way out. Like, he’s the popular basketball player and I’m the boy working in a bakery!”

Buffy just rolled her eyes, walking away from the counter, raising her hands. “I give up. I no longer feel the will to go on.”

“Cyrus, just talk to him,” Andi said, reaching over to squeeze Cyrus’ hand before walking out of the store with Buffy.

Cyrus just stood there for a while, his thoughts moving fast. On one hand, the girls made sense, maybe he should try talking to TJ. But on the other hand, Cyrus was very much aware of the fact that TJ was an athlete, a captain, someone everyone loved. And Cyrus was just a kid who no one really bothered with. He wasn’t unpopular, it’s just that he was unnoticed. And he was okay with that.

Closing his eyes, Cyrus willed himself to focus on work. He took a deep breath and told himself,  _just deal with the customers and not think about TJ._

Well that went about as well as one could expect. Because as soon as Cyrus opened his eyes, the door opened to the chime of a bell, and in walked none other than the root of all of Cyrus’ problems: TJ.

Cyrus tried to keep a friendly, neutral expression as he saw TJ approach. All the while, he could practically hear his heart going  _ba-boom ba-boom ba-boom._

_Crap._

“Hi TJ, what can I do for you today?” Cyrus said, trying to keep his voice steady, unlike his mind.

TJ had a smirk on his face, but he was tugging at his sleeves nervously. “I wanted to order a cake. Chocolate chocolate chip?”

_Doesn’t mean anything that TJ was ordering a cake of his favourite flavour. Nope. No._

Cyrus smiled, noting the order down on a little notepad that no one else used except him. His mom would often laugh in good nature at how Cyrus would note down every detail that was said to him. He looked back up at TJ, putting the pencil behind his ear. “Do you want a message written on the cake?”

For the first time, TJ looked hesitant, scratching his earlobe and biting his lip slightly. “Yeah.”

“Okay, shoot.”

TJ took a deep breath and looked Cyrus right in the eyes. “Cyrus, I have had the biggest crush on you since 7th grade. Will you go out with me?”

Time may as well have stopped, with the way Cyrus just stared back at TJ, disbelief clouding his thoughts. TJ looked back at Cyrus expectantly, stuffing his hands into his hoodie pockets as he balanced on the balls of his foot, waiting for Cyrus to respond.

After what seemed like forever, Cyrus coughed, clearing his throat. “And what occasion is the cake for?” he asked, as he moved to write in his notepad.

As soon as he said that, he swore he heard Buffy yell, “Oh you have got to be kidding,” before her voice became muffled. TJ groaned, hitting his head on the counter in front of him. He looked back up at Cyrus, who looked on in confusion.

Suddenly, TJ vaulted himself over the counter, standing directly in front of Cyrus. Their chests were touching, their faces close. Cyrus felt his breath hitch, dropping his pencil onto the floor.

“You really are oblivious, Cyrus Goodman,” TJ whispered, wrapping his arms around Cyrus’ waist.

Cyrus could no longer feel individual heartbeats, it was all a hum, that’s how fast it felt. Before he could overthink any of it, he cupped TJ’s cheeks and pulled him in for a kiss.

It was magical. The smell of the chocolate and vanilla from the bakery mixed with the smell of TJ’s cologne was sending Cyrus’ mind in a whirl. He wrapped his arms around TJ’s neck and TJ tightened his arms around Cyrus’ waist, pulling each other impossibly closer. It felt like forever before they pulled away, yet somehow it was still too short for Cyrus. When they pulled away, Cyrus rested his head against TJ’s, feeling out of breath. His brain had just finished processing what had happened.

_TJ liked him. TJ asked him out. He kissed TJ._

“So? What’s your answer?” TJ asked in a whisper, a soft smile on his face, his cheeks pink.

“I’ll think about it,” Cyrus replied cheekily.

TJ raised his eyebrows, amused. Cyrus let out a small giggle, kissing the tip of TJ’s nose.

“Yes.”

**Author's Note:**

> so this idea came about when sarah and i were having our usual crackhead conversations and i found this post on instagram and the gears began turning. Hope you guys liked a fluffy fic for a change!


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